1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a means for quick mounting and quick demounting joining around an item by means of surrounding clamping action.
2. Description of Related Art
It is well known that a ring which is tensioned around an object can be secured in a very robust way. Such rings are called clamping rings herein. The desire concerning these clamping rings are that they should be readily mounted at a desired site and position on the object, that they shall have a high strength and be safely secured thereto, that it shall be simple to attach other objects thereto as well as it shall, if so needed, be simple to demount the element. These types of elements, often in ring shape, are used e.g., when mounting post mounted road signs, cable clips at automotive batteries, post mounted traffic lights, fastening means for motorcycle accessories etc. Hose clamps belong to this category as well.
Toy construction systems are a technical field as well where clamping rings can be used efficiently.
Openable clamping rings are present in construction systems such as the construction system FAC, at traffic signs, presentation stands in shops, mounting means for motor cycle accessories, scaffoldings, and certain construction system for building stages to present concerts and temporary exhibition halls etc. Hereby clamping rings are intended which are most often brought around tubes, cylindrical bars, or other objects having a cylindrical shape. Common to many of them is that the clamping effect is obtained by means of one or more screws being oriented perpendicular to the throughgoing axis of the ring and are placed at the periphery of the clamping ring. Particularly common are five variant types. The first variant consists of two equal parts which are joined in a common parting line, which cuts the through going axis of the ring, in this variant there are screws passing perpendicularly through this parting line at both sides of the through going axis of the ring. The second variant has a hinge the axis of which is present at the periphery of the ring, and where the hinge axis is oriented in parallel to the through going axis of the ring. This hinge replaces the screw or screws on one side of the through going axis of the ring. The shackles of old days were construed according to this principle even though they were construed to clamp but to surround only. The third variant is similar to the hinge variant but in this case the hinge is designed as two flat bars where one has a rectangular hole and the other one has a protrusion having a rectangular cross-section fitting into the said hole. The flat bars are bent in such a way that they fit around the intended object and the parts having protrusion and hole respectively are bent in such a way that they may easily hook into each other to replace the screws on one side of the clamping element. The fourth variant which inter alia is present in the construction system FAC lacks hinge and the clamping effect is in stead obtained by at least one of two ring elements is provided with supporting heads placed outside the screws in the parting line. The supporting heads will then form a counter dolly to provide a clamping effect in the element. The fifth variant is called hose clamp which in turn is present in a number of variants. Commonly present are hose clamps having a screw feeding together a metal band provided with thread slots. The screw is placed at the periphery of the element, as well, and is oriented in such a way that its axis is perpendicular the through going axis of the element.
The object to be able to mount and demount the clamping rings in an easy way is normally solved in that the element can be opened and closed or be brought apart and be brought together. Straining the element in some way so that a friction joint is created between the element and the object it surrounds most often solves the object that it shall be fixed firmly. The known technology, which the present invention is based upon is thus all types of openable or demountable clamping rings the function of which is based on a friction joint and which is intended to be used as fastening means to be able to attach one or more objects to another.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,737,180 relates to a tube joining unit having a hinge side and a joining side, whereby the joint is made of two units having through going holes for receiving a locking unit. The through going holes have conicities for guiding the locking means. The object of the reference is to be able to insert a side wise directed tube on a tube, such as water tube.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,054,646 relates to a split collar having a locking unit cooperating with a wedge element, wherein the locking element shows fracture inducing crossing lines.
U.S. Pat. No. 2,234,222 relates to a split collar as well having a similar locking unit as the one of U.S. Pat. No. 3,054,646.
FR 756551 shows a locking element similar to the two preceeding ones.
GB 1120606 discloses a sun shade consisting of circular, polygonal of quadratic sun shade elements being joined to each other via joining elements introduced into slots present in the sun shade elements. These slots do not provide any partitions.